Writer’s Effect Practice

Read the given text below:

I watched a thunderstorm, far out over the sea. It began quietly, and with nothing visible except tall dark clouds and a
rolling tide. There was just a soft murmur of thunder as I watched the horizon from my balcony. Over the next few
minutes, the clouds closed and reflected lightning set the rippling ocean aglow. The thunderheads had covered up the
sun, shadowing the vista. It was peaceful for a long time. I was looking up when the first clear thunderbolt struck.
It blazed against the sky and sea; I could see its shape in perfect reverse colours when I blinked. More followed. The
thunder rumbled and stuttered as if it could hardly keep up. There were openings in the cloud now, as if the sky were
torn, and spots of brilliant blue shone above the shadowed sea.

I looked down then, watching the waves. Every bolt was answered by a moment of spreading light on the surface.
The waves were getting rough, rising high and crashing hard enough that I could hear them. Then came the rain. It
came all at once and in sheets, soaking the sand, filling the sea. It was so dense I could only see the lightning as flashes
of light. It came down so hard the thunder was drowned. Everything was rhythmic light and shadow, noise and silence,
blending into a single experience of all five senses. In an instant it stopped. The storm broke. The clouds came apart
like curtains. The rain still fell, but softly now. It was as if there had never been a storm at all, except for a single
signature. A rainbow, almost violently bright, spread above and across the water. I could see the horizon again.

1. Pick out four phrases that describe the weather and the writer’s feelings on the shifting weather.

2. Choose words and phrases and explain how the writer creates effects through these descriptions.

I reached over to grab his outstretched hand but as our fingers were about to touch, I was engulfed in darkness.
There was no transition at all, no sense of approaching danger. It was as if I had suddenly gone blind and deaf.

I was aware that my legs were surrounded by water, but my top half was almost dry. I seemed to be trapped
in something slimy. There was a terrible, sulphurous smell, like rotten eggs, and a tremendous pressure against
my chest. My arms were trapped but I managed to free one hand and felt around – my palm passed through
the wiry bristles of the hippo’s snout. It was only then that I realised I was underwater, trapped up to my waist
in his mouth.

I wriggled as hard as I could, and in the few seconds for which he opened his jaws, I managed to escape. I
swam towards Evans, but the hippo struck again, dragging me back under the surface. I’d never heard of a
hippo attacking repeatedly like this, but he clearly wanted me dead.

Topic: Identify how and why these techniques have been used in the Writer’s Effect question.

Adjectives
These are words that describe nouns e.g. ‘harsh’, ‘excruciating, ‘noble’. Writers use them to create a specific
picture in the readers mind.
Why has the writer used these adjectives? What picture does it create?

Adverbs
These are words that describe verbs. e.g. ‘carefully’, ‘quietly’, ‘quickly’. These can be used to add more
detail to an action so that the reader can picture what is going on and how.
Why has the writer added detail to this action? What picture does it create?

Alliteration
Repetition of a sound at the beginning of words, e.g. ‘Cruel Catherine…’ It is used to stress certain words or
phrases or to make a point to the reader.
Why has the writer stressed these words? What point are they trying to make?

Colour
Using colour words like ‘red’ , ‘blue’ or ‘yellow’. Colour creates images in the readers mind and can affect
atmosphere through connections the reader makes with that colour e.g. red associates with ‘danger’ ‘anger’
or ‘love.’
What image has been created with the use of colour? How has it affected the atmosphere?

Contrasts
Strong differences between two things. A writer might write a paragraph about a beautiful place and follow
it with a paragraph describing a run-down place to show the differences between the ways in which two
groups of people live.
Why has the writer chosen to show these two things? What difference is being highlighted and why?

Exclamations
Show anger, shock, horror, surprise and joy, e.g. ‘I won!’. They are used to portray emotion and show how a
character reacts or is feeling.
Why has the writer chosen to put the exclamation there? What emotion or reaction are they portraying?
Why?

Humour
Making a character or situation appear in a funny way can be used to mock the character or the place, or it
could show that a character is humorous.
Why has the writer made this situation or character humorous? How does it affect the mood?

Imagery
(including similes, metaphors, colour and use of the 5 senses- sight, sound, touch, taste and smell)
The words allow the reader to create an image in their mind and involve the reader in the moment being
described.
What image has been created? What is the effect of involving the reader in the moment?

Juxtaposition
The positioning of two words, phrases or ideas next to, or near, each other. This highlights a contrast
between two words, phrases or ideas, e.g. ‘The two friends were known as clever Carole and stupid Steven.’
Why has the writer chosen to position these two things together? What contrast is being highlighted and
why?

Metaphor
A image created by referring to something as something else, e.g. ‘storm of controversy.’ This shows
meaning by directly comparing something to something else.
Why is the word being compared to something else? What element of the thing that it is being compared to is
being highlighted in the word.

Negative diction
Words that are negative, e.g. ‘cruel’, ‘evil’, ‘dark’. This gives a negative tone and can portray negative
feelings towards a character or situation.
Why has the writer created negative tone? What effect do these negative feelings have on the representation
of the character or the atmosphere?

Onomatopoeia
Words that sound like what the describe, e.g. ‘The clash of the symbols startled John.’ The reader can almost
hear the sound for themselves.
Why does the writer want the reader to hear the sound? What is the effect on the atmosphere?
Personification
Making an object/ animal sound like a person, giving it human characteristics, e.g. ‘the fingers of the tree
grabbed at my hair as I passed.’
Why has the object/ animal been given human characteristics? How does it affect the mood?

Positive diction
Words that are positive, e.g. ‘happy’, ‘joyous’ They give a positive tone or portray positive feelings towards
a character or situation.
Why has the writer created a positive tone? What effect do these positive feelings have on the representation
of the character or the atmosphere?

Sentence Length.
Short sentences are just a few words long, without detail. ‘I wondered if he knew what he was doing to me.
It hurt. A lot.’ Short sentences affect the speed the piece is read and grabs attention.
Why has the writer used a short sentence? How does it affect the speed and tension?

Simile
A comparison between two things that includes the words ‘as’ or ‘like’, e.g. ‘Her voice cut through him like
a knife.’ This shows meaning by comparing something to something else
Why has the word been compared to something else? What element of the thing that it is being compared to
has been highlighted in the word?

Verbs
Action words such as ‘scrambled’, ‘sprinted’, ‘leaped’. The writer uses these to add action to the writing.
Why has the writer used these verbs? What mood has been created?

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